Naoe

The Naoe were a feudal Japanese samurai clan who were vassals to the Uesugi clan.

History
The Naoe were vassals to the Uesugi clan. Kanetsugu Naoe's father, Kanetoyo Higuchi, was a vassal to Kanetora Nagao (Uesugi Kenshin) until his death and a subsequent internal clan war led him to serve with Kagekatsu Uesugi, a childhood friend of Kanetsugu's. The previous head of the Naoe, Nobutsuna, was unable to provide the clan with an heir, so Nobutsuna's widow, Osen Naoe, married Kanetsugu to establish a successor for the Naoe. In 1591, the Naoe managed Hitachi and Shimotsuke on behalf of the Uesugi, all while protecting Kagekatsu from any threat that could have befallen him.